Shawn Marion has declined his early-termination option and will remain under contract with the Mavericks for 2013/14, as expected, reports Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Marion will make $9,316,796 in the final year of his deal. The move makes Marion eligible to be traded, and his name has come up frequently in rumors, most recently regarding the Mavs’ pursuit of Rajon Rondo.

Even with Marion opting in, the Mavs appear to have just enough cap room to sign Dwight Howard. If the Mavs land Howard in free agency, the team will most likely make an unbalanced trade involving Marion, and receive no or little salary in return, according to McMahon. Presumably, such a move would take place so that Dallas could surround Howard with another attractive free agent or two.

Marion, 35, remains a useful defender, and he started all 67 games in which he appeared this past season. He averaged 12.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game.